BRITISH COUNTERATTACK

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 138, 7 March 1942, Page 7

BRITISH COUNTERATTACK

Operations In Burma ENEMY CASUALTIES CONSIDERABLE (British Official Wireless.) (Received March 6, 11.50 p.m.) RUGBY, March 6. A Rangoon communique received early today states: On the Sittang front there is little change. Yesterday our troops attacked a village in the area and captured a number of 77 millimetre guns and five-inch mortars. Considerable casualties were inflicted on the enemy. Our troops broke up Japanese supply transports. Patrol action continued throughout the night. The R.A.F. carried out reconnaissance and patrol work. A small patrol of R.A.F. fighters encountered a large formation of Japanese aircraft and despite its numerical superiority the Japanese formation was broken up. One Japanese bomber was shot down, our losses being nil.

An earlier Rangoon communique reports that the British forces engaged a party of the enemy in the area from Waw to the north of Pegu. Waw was attacked by six enemy bombers and the town was set on fire. In Rangoon life carries on quietly, but reports are still coming to hand of brutality and lawlessness in the outlying areas. For a long time there has been a disaffected minority in Burma whose main grievance has been against the “opendoor” policy, and specially against the influx of Indians into Burma. It is probobly this minority which has been committing acts of lawlessness, specially against the Indian section of the population of Rangoo. Japanese Claims.

The Domei news agency claims that the Japanese captured Mingaladon aerodrome, north of Rangoon, making smashing headway‘along the Sittang River. It says one Japanese spearhead pushed wel Ipast Pegu and that the Japanese cut the Rangoon-Lashio railway in several places. Heavy fighting is going on in the Tuongoo area and British troops have taken up positions along the Irrawaddy. Tokio radio claims that the evacuation of Mandalay has been ordered. The Japanese also say that they have occupied Maros and Danpos, which is 20 miles east of Maros.

According to Rome radio the Japanese claim to have captured Rangoon.